Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Big Fat Failures

Things have been crazy busy around here lately. That hasn't left a lot of time to be creative in the kitchen, and a few recent failures haven't helped things. First up, I can't get my sourdough starter to actually start. It bubbles away, but never actually rises. I have started and re-started so many times I have lost count. I eventually made my way over the Peter Reinhart's blog (I am using his recipe) and found out that there is a bacteria in flour that masquerades as yeast by producing carbon dioxide. I thought I have finally found the solution, and did what Rienhart suggested to fix the problem. But, alas, it did not work. Here is my starter . . . mocking me. Any suggestions from experienced bakers?

Second, I made a tortilla casserole. Do you need to fry the corn tortillas first? This casserole turned into a big pile of mush.

This one started out as a fabulous stir fry. But then I ruined it by using a pre-made sauce. Lesson learned: take a few minutes to make your own. Or, don't buy pre-made sauce in the first place.